Controlling mechanism.



H. MEYER. CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLIUATIOI FILED DBO. 97,1907.

Pafented Oct; 6, 1908'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTO/i' ATTORNEYS m2 n h H. MEYER. CONTROLLING Hncnmsm.

APPLIIOATIIOH ILEP DBO. 2'7, 1907. v Patented Oct" 6 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTORNEYS PATENT OFFICE.

.ILIJHMANN MEYER, OF NEW YQRK.,.-N'. Y.

CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatented Oct. 6, 1908.

Application filed December 27, 1807. Burial No. 408,298.

H; plamis and like musical. instruimnts,and its object to provide a newand improved controlling mechanism, arranged to control inde endentlythe tempo, action, expression,

the amper and the hammer rail, in a very simple and eflicient manner.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same,

- which will be more fully described herein after and then pointed outin the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings forming a. part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference in dicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a. front elevation of the improvement as applied to a.self-playing piano, parts of the latter being omitted Fig. 2 is anenlarged transverse section of the same, on the line 2 2 of'Fig. 1; Fig.3 is an enlarged edge view of one of the controlling levers,'and Fig.4 arear sectional. elevation of the same, on the line 4.-4 of Fig. 3.

The hand-lever A. has its hollow shaft A extending transvi-srsely andjournalcd in suitable hearings on the bottom of the key board ll, and onthe said shaft A is secured. an arm A uvotally connected. with the stem(3 ol the mechanical valve C controlling the speed of the note sheet inthe usual. manner. On the hand-lever A is fulcrumed the lever l) (:arncing a valve 1) controlling an air port 1/ leading to the interior ofthe hollow shaft A, the said lever D being pressed m: by a. spring D tonormallywld the valve D" in n. closedv position. The rear end of thehollow shaft A is connected by a tube E with a )neumatic valve Fconnected with the wind chest and by a. pipe F with a. pneumatic Grcontrollin a lever H for actuating the damper rail I in the usualmanner, that is, actuating the damper rail H for removing the damperfrom the strings whenever the pneumatic G is collapsed. This takes placewhen air is admitted to the valve F by way of the tube E,

the hollow shaft A and port a, opened by the operator pressing the leverD correspondingly.

Now from the foregoing it will be seen that the operator having hold ofthe hand lever A can conveniently swing the lever to the right or left,so as to actuate the val ve employed for controlling the speed ofthenote sheet, and the operator having hold of the lever A can also pressthe lever D to swing the valve D into an open position, thus admittingair to the valve F, with a view to actuate the pneumatic G, lever H anddamper rail H, to remove the dampers from the strings the same as if theloud pedal had been pressed. As soon as the operator releases thepressure on the lever D, the s ring D thereof closes the valve I) sothat t e pneumatic G is allowed to inflate and the damper rail H ismoved back -to normal inactive position.

On the front of the instrument and to the left of the lever A is arraned a second. hand-lever I secured on a ho ow shaft I, extendingtransversely and journaled on the bottom of the key board-B, the rearend of the said shaft I being provided with an arm I connected with thestem J of thevalve J employed for controlling the action pneumaties togive the desired expression. On the hand-lever I is fulcrumed a lever Learryin a valve L. controlling aort similar to the port a and leading tot e hollow shaft I, the said valve being normally in a closed positionby the action of a sprmg L pressing on the lever L, the same as thespring D acting on the lever D, as above mentioned. The rear end of thehollow shaft I is connected by. a tube N with a pneumatic valve 0connected with the wind chest, and by a pipe 0 with a pneumaticP,,employed-forimparting a swinging motion' to the lever Q, controllingthe hammer rail R, which latter normally is in an inactive position. Nowb the arrangement described, the operator iaving hold of the lover Iwith the left hand can impart a swingin the mechanical valve-J, with aview to .control the expression, as previously mentioned, and at thesame time the operator can press the lever Lft'o open the valve L,thereby ad-.

mittin air to the hollow shaft I, and b way 0. the tube N to thepneumatic valve to connect the wind chest with the pipe 0 and thepneumatic P, to cause the latter to motion, to the said. lever, toactuate:

' returning the lever the desired tempo, give the valve L to close thecollapse and in doing so to impart a swinging motion to the lever Q, formoving the hammer rail R into an active position,the same as if the softpedal had been pressed by the player. JVhen the operator releases thelever L, then the spring L thereof causes the port leading to the hollowshaft I, so that air is cut off from the pneumatic valve 0, andconsequently the pneumatic P is allowedto again inflate, thus Q and thehammer rail R to normal dormant position.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the operator having hold of thelever A with the right hand and of the lever I with the left hand, canreadily manipulate the said levers and at the same time can also pressthe levers D and L without removing the hands from the levers A and I;As the levers D and L control the damper and hammer rail, respectively,it is evident that the operator can conveniently andindependentlyproduce desired expression and graduate the tone, softorloud as the music may call for.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent: j

1. A self-playing piand provided with an expression valve, apneumatically operated valve, a hand lever, a hollow shaft for the saidhand lever connected with the said expression valve to actuate thelatter on imparting a swinging motion. to the said hand ever, the saidhollow shaft having its con duit connected'with the sald pneumaticallyoperated valve, the said hollow shaft having an air port and amannally-controlled le' the said hand lever and provided with an airport,a valve for controlling thespeed of the note sheet and mechanicallyconnected with the said hollow shaft, a pneumatically operated valveforcontrolling the said damper rail and connected with the conduit of thesaid hollow shaft, and a manually-controlled self-closing lever valvefulcrumed on the said hand lever and controlling the said air port toactuate the said pneumatically operated valve.

' 3. A self-playing piano provided with a hammer rail, a hand lever, ahollow shaft for I the said hand lever provided with an air port, avalve for controlling the action pneumatics and mechanically connectedwith the said hollow shaft, a pneumatically operated valve forcontrollingthe said hammerrail and connected with the conduit of thesaid hollow shaft, and. a. manually-controlled said hand lever andcontrolling the said air port to actuate the said pneumatically operatevalve.

In testimony whereof I have name to this specification in twosubscribing witnesses.

HE MANN MEYER.

signed my the presence of \Vitnesses THEO. G. Hos'rnu, Evnmun B.MARSHALL.

self-closing lever valve fulcrumed on the"

